Nazareth (band)

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Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Nazareth are a Scottish hard rock band formed in Dunfermline in 1968 that had many hit singles and albums in Canada, the United Kingdom, and a number of other European countries beginning in the early 1970s. The breadth of their popularity expanded internationally, including in the United States, with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog, which featured their hits "Hair of the Dog" and a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts".[1][2][3] They have continued to record and tour internationally for more than 50 years.

Career

File:Nazareth1small.jpg
Nazareth performing in March 1976

Nazareth formed in December 1968 in Dunfermline, Scotland, from the remaining members of semi-professional local group the Shadettes (formed in 1961) by vocalist Dan McCafferty, guitarist Manny Charlton, bassist Pete Agnew (born 1946), and drummer Darrell Sweet (1947 - 1999).[4][5][6] They were inspired by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.[7] Nazareth took their name from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, which is cited in the first line of the Band's classic song "The Weight" ("I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead...").[6]

The band moved to London, England in 1970 and released their self titled debut album in 1971.[6] After getting some attention with their second album Exercises, released in 1972, Nazareth supported Deep Purple on tour, and issued the Roger Glover-produced Razamanaz, in early 1973.[6] This collection spawned two UK Top Ten hits, "Broken Down Angel" and "Bad Bad Boy".[6] This was followed by Loud 'N' Proud in late 1973, which contained another hit with a cover of Joni Mitchell's song "This Flight Tonight".[6] Then came another album Rampant, in 1974, that was equally successful although its only single, "Shanghai'd in Shanghai", narrowly missed the British Top 40.[2] The non-album cover of Tomorrow's "My White Bicycle" ( a song inspired by Dutch Provos, an anarchist group in Amsterdam) was a UK Top 20 entry in 1975.[6]

Hair of the Dog, released in April 1975, was produced by Manny Charlton, ending Roger Glover's association with the band.[2] The title track – popularly, though incorrectly, known as "Son of a Bitch" due to its hook lyric – became a staple of 1970s rock radio. The American version of the album included a song originally recorded by the Everly Brothers: the melodic Boudleaux Bryant-penned ballad "Love Hurts". This became a hit in the UK and in the US, where it went platinum. The track became the band's only US Top Ten hit[8] and was also a top 10 hit in nine other countries, reaching number 1 in six of them. The song was on the Norwegian chart for 60 weeks.[8]

In 1979, second guitarist Zal Cleminson (previously of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band) was added to the line-up, remaining for two albums, No Mean City and Malice in Wonderland, and contributing numerous compositions.[6] Malice in Wonderland contained the single "Holiday".[2] In 1981, they contributed the song "Crazy (A Suitable Case for Treatment)" to the soundtrack to the film, Heavy Metal.

Various Nazareth line-ups continued to make studio albums and tour throughout the 1980s and 1990s, although their popularity had declined such that some albums no longer received either a UK or a US release. They remained popular in Europe, particularly Germany, where "Dream On" became a hit single. In 1991, Billy Rankin returned to replace Manny Charlton on the No Jive album, remaining with the band until 1994.[6]

A tribute came in 1993 when Guns N' Roses covered Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog" on "The Spaghetti Incident?"; consolation after they turned down Axl Rose's request for the group to play at his wedding.[6] "Axl really made me more aware of Nazareth…" recalled GNR guitarist Slash, "because he can sing like that McCafferty guy, and really dug his voice. And so I remember listening to Nazareth a lot at one point."[9]

Rankin departed again in 1994, but with Jimmy Murrison and keyboard player Ronnie Leahy, Nazareth maintained a live following in Europe and the US.[6]

Nazareth continued touring after Rankin's departure, with Jimmy Murrison and keyboard player Ronnie Leahy.[6] While on tour in 1999, original drummer Darrell Sweet died at age 51 of a heart attack. He was replaced by bassist Pete Agnew's son Lee for later editions of the band.

On 4 August 2006, John Locke, the former keyboardist of the band, died from cancer at the age of 62.[10]

In February 2008, The Newz was released on the Hamburg-based label, Edel Entertainment. The release of the album coincided with Nazareth's fortieth anniversary tour, which started on 25 January in Sweden and visited most of Europe, finished on 4 November 2008 in Norway. A follow-up album, Big Dogz, was released on 15 April 2011.

File:20140808-0948 PictureOn 2014-Nazareth-Jimm Murrison-Linton Osborne.JPG
Jimmy Murrison and Linton Osborne at Picture On Festival, August 2014

Nazareth announced McCafferty's retirement from the band due to ill health on 28 August 2013,[11] leaving Pete Agnew as the last remaining original member of the band. On 22 February 2014, it was announced that Scottish singer Linton Osborne was chosen as McCafferty's replacement, with the former singer's blessing.[12] In December 2014, Nazareth announced the cancellation of several shows,[13] and later postponement of their UK tour,[14] due to Osborne contracting a virus that left him unable to perform. In a post on his Facebook page 16 January 2015, Osborne announced his departure from the band.[15][16]

On 13 February 2015, the band announced that Carl Sentance, formerly of Persian Risk, Geezer Butler Band, and Krokus, was their new lead vocalist.[17][18]

In October 2018, the album Tattooed on My Brain, was released via Frontiers Records.[19] 'The 50th Anniversary Tour' followed, spanning 2018 and 2019, along with German hard rock band Formosa as support.[20][21] Original guitarist Manny Charlton died on 5 July 2022, aged 80.[22]

On 8 November 2022, Dan McCafferty died at the age of 76,[23] thus leaving bassist Pete Agnew as the last surviving original member.

In December 2025, Sentance was replaced by the Italian singer Gianni Pontillo.[24]

Members

Current members

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Template:CSS image crop Pete Agnew 1968–present[6] Template:Hlist all releases
Template:CSS image crop Jimmy Murrison 1994–present[25] Template:Hlist all releases from Boogaloo (1998) onwards
Template:CSS image crop Lee Agnew 1999–present Template:Hlist
Template:CSS image crop Gianni Pontillo 2025–present lead vocals none to date

Former members

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Template:CSS image crop Dan McCafferty 1968–2013 (died 2022)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[6][23] Template:Hlist all releases from Nazareth (1971) to Rock 'n' Roll Telephone (2014)
Darrell Sweet 1968–1999 (until his death 1999)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[6] Template:Hlist Template:Flatlist
Template:CSS image crop Manny Charlton 1968–1990 (died 2022)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[6][26] Template:Hlist Template:Flatlist
Template:CSS image crop Zal Cleminson 1978–1980[6] Template:Hlist Template:Flatlist
Template:CSS image crop Billy Rankin Template:Hlist[27][6] Template:Hlist Template:Flatlist
Template:CSS image crop John Locke 1980–1982 (died 2006)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[28][29] keyboards Template:Flatlist
Ronnie Leahy 1994–2002[25][30] (session guest 2022)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Template:Flatlist
Template:CSS image crop Linton Osborne 2014–2015[12][15] lead vocals No Means of Escape DVD (2015)[31]
Template:CSS image crop Carl Sentance 2015–2025[17] Template:Hlist Template:Flatlist

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:960 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:85 bottom:60 top:5 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:12/01/1968 till:05/12/2026 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors = 

id:vocals     value:red           legend:Lead_vocals
id:guitars    value:green         legend:Guitars
id:keyboards  value:purple          legend:Keyboards
id:bass       value:blue          legend:Bass
id:drums      value:orange        legend:Drums,_percussion
id:bvocals    value:pink          legend:Backing_vocals
id:studio     value:black         legend:Studio_albums
id:live       value:gray(0.85)    legend:Live_albums

Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom

ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:01/01/1969 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:01/01/1969

LineData = 

layer: back

color:live
at:12/16/1981
at:07/28/1991
at:08/01/1998
at:05/22/2001
at:04/23/2002
at:11/18/2003
at:06/01/2004
at:08/01/2007

color:studio
at:11/01/1971
at:07/01/1972
at:05/01/1973
at:11/01/1973
at:05/01/1974
at:04/01/1975
at:03/01/1976
at:11/01/1976
at:11/01/1977
at:01/21/1979
at:04/01/1980
at:02/01/1981
at:01/22/1982
at:06/26/1983
at:09/01/1984
at:02/01/1986
at:04/01/1989
at:11/01/1991
at:03/22/1994
at:08/25/1998
at:03/31/2008
at:04/15/2011
at:06/03/2014
at:10/12/2018
at:04/15/2022

BarData = 

bar:Dan      text:Dan McCafferty
bar:Linton   text:Linton Osborne
bar:Carl     text:Carl Sentance
bar:Gianni   text:Gianni Pontillo
bar:Manny    text:Manny Charlton
bar:Zal      text:Zal Cleminson
bar:Billy    text:Billy Rankin
bar:Jimmy    text:Jimmy Murrison
bar:John     text:John Locke
bar:Ronnie   text:Ronnie Leahy
bar:Pete     text:Pete Agnew
bar:Darrell  text:Darrell Sweet
bar:Lee      text:Lee Agnew

PlotData= 

 width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
 color:vocals
 bar:Dan     from:start      till:08/28/2013
 bar:Linton  from:02/22/2014 till:01/16/2015
 bar:Carl    from:02/13/2015 till:12/21/2025
 bar:Gianni  from:12/21/2025 till:end

 color:Bass
 bar:Pete    from:start      till:end

 color:guitars
 bar:Manny   from:12/01/1968 till:05/01/1990
 bar:Zal     from:09/01/1978 till:07/01/1980
 bar:Billy   from:07/01/1980 till:06/21/1983
 bar:Billy   from:12/01/1990 till:12/01/1994
 bar:Jimmy   from:12/01/1994 till:end

 color:Drums
 bar:Darrell from:start      till:04/30/1999
 bar:Lee     from:04/30/1999 till:end

 color:Keyboards
 bar:John    from:07/01/1980 till:12/01/1982
 bar:Zal     from:09/01/1978 till:07/01/1980 width:3
 bar:Billy   from:12/01/1982 till:06/21/1983 width:7
 bar:Ronnie  from:12/01/1994 till:12/01/2002

 color:Bvocals width:3
 bar:Darrell from:start      till:04/30/1999
 bar:Pete    from:start      till:end
 bar:Manny   from:12/01/1968 till:05/01/1990
 bar:Billy   from:07/01/1980 till:06/21/1983
 bar:Billy   from:12/01/1990 till:12/01/1994
 bar:Jimmy   from:12/01/1994 till:end
 bar:Lee     from:04/30/1999 till:end

</timeline>

Lineups

Period Members Releases
December 1968 – September 1978[6]
  • Dan McCafferty – lead vocals
  • Manny Charlton – guitar, backing vocals
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing and occ. lead vocals
  • Darrell Sweet – drums, backing vocals
September 1978 – July 1980[6][27]
  • Dan McCafferty – lead vocals
  • Manny Charlton – guitar, backing vocals
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing vocals
  • Darrell Sweet – drums, backing vocals
  • Zal Cleminson – guitar
July 1980 – Late 1982[27][28]
  • Dan McCafferty – lead vocals
  • Manny Charlton – guitar, backing vocals
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing vocals
  • Darrell Sweet – drums, backing vocals
  • Billy Rankin – guitar, backing vocals
  • John Locke – keyboards
  • The Fool Circle (1981) without RankinScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • 'Snaz (1981)
  • Live in Texas (1981)
  • 2XS (1982)
  • Back to the Trenches (2001)
  • The River Sessions Live 1981 (2004)
  • Naza' Live Scottish TV 1980 (2005)
Late 1982 – 1983[27]
  • Dan McCafferty – lead vocals
  • Manny Charlton – guitar, backing vocals
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing vocals
  • Darrell Sweet – drums, backing vocals
  • Billy Rankin – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
1983 – May 1990[27]
  • Dan McCafferty – lead vocals
  • Manny Charlton – guitar, backing vocals
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing vocals
  • Darrell Sweet – drums, backing vocals
May 1990 – Late 1994[6]
  • Dan McCafferty – lead vocals
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing vocals
  • Darrell Sweet – drums, backing vocals
  • Billy Rankin – guitar, backing vocals
Late 1994 – April 1999[25]
  • Dan McCafferty – lead vocals
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing vocals
  • Darrell Sweet – drums, backing vocals
  • Jimmy Murrison – guitar, backing vocals
  • Ronnie Leahy – keyboards
April 1999 – Late 2002
  • Dan McCafferty – lead vocals
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing vocals
  • Jimmy Murrison – guitar, backing vocals
  • Ronnie Leahy – keyboards
  • Lee Agnew – drums, backing vocals
Late 2002 – 2013
  • Dan McCafferty – lead vocals
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing vocals
  • Jimmy Murrison – guitar, backing vocals
  • Lee Agnew – drums, backing vocals
2014 – January 2015
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing vocals
  • Jimmy Murrison – guitar, backing vocals
  • Lee Agnew – drums, backing vocals
  • Linton Osborne – lead vocals

No Means of Escape DVD (2015)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

February 2015 – December 2025
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing and occ. lead vocals
  • Jimmy Murrison – guitar, backing vocals
  • Lee Agnew – drums, backing vocals
  • Carl Sentance – lead vocals
December 2025 – present
  • Pete Agnew – bass, backing and occ. lead vocals
  • Jimmy Murrison – guitar, backing vocals
  • Lee Agnew – drums, backing vocals
  • Gianni Pontillo – lead vocals

none to dateScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Discography

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See also

References

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  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Pete Agnew compares Nazareth Template:Webarchive and Aerosmith with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
  8. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  27. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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